Road to Salvation
by guyw1tn0nam3
Summary: In honor of Tokka Week. Toph Bei Fong has become the best vigilante in Ba Sing Se. Still, her identity has been a secret,and Toph has given up everything to protect a city that she never cared about. To everyone else, Toph Bei Fong is dead. Complete!
1. Alone

**A/N: **This is my submission for Tokka week. It's going to a multi-chaptered action packed, suspenseful Tokka story that deals with Toph and Sokka interacting in a rather strange circumstance. I hope everyone likes this as it took me a while before this idea really shot off the ground.

Read and enjoy!

**Plot Summary: **Though it's been liberated for over five years, the city of Ba Sing Se is filled with war criminals, fiendish exiles, the treacherous Dai Li, and a complicated crime syndicate that have never left the capital city alone. Free from her parents once again, Toph Bei Fong has become the most feared vigilante in the city, turning in the foulest criminals on a daily basis. Still, her identity has been a tightly kept secret, and Toph has given up everything to protect a city that she never cared about. But to everyone else, Toph Bei Fong is dead.

* * *

**Alone**

There was only darkness tonight. For Hu, all of his hopes had vanished with the light. Malevolent clouds hung over Ba Sing Se, obscuring the moon's bright light behind a black veil. A storm roared over the gloomy streets of the city, and Hu felt the stinging rainwater on his expensive gold linen shirt as he shoved bystanders to and fro, hurrying past them in a frenzied panic.

There was no longer the sound of voices. The people in front of him became mere dark blurs and shadows that were nothing more than obstacles in his way. He couldn't hear their cries of fury as he pushed them into the murky mud, couldn't see their icy glares as they watched him frantically zigzagging through the streets of the city. No, all Hu could hear was the beating of his own horrified heart, thumping faster and faster and faster with each passing gasp.

_Boom! _The thunder bellowed over Hu's head with enormous and almost sinister ferocity, and the man brought his smooth hands to cover his small sensitive little ears. His heart only beat faster at the sound of the thunder, and if someone had stared into Hu's eyes when the lightning revealed his eyes, one would've seen a pair of old brown eyes shaken with fear.

"I love it when my victims run," came that dreaded voice. Even with the rain howling overhead, her voice penetrated Hu's ears with ease, and Hu's body was rid of any warmth. "Maybe a little fun before the end, wouldn't you say?"

The air around Hu became noticeably colder, and Hu's teeth chattered wildly as his frightened eyes squinted to see in an endless abyss. His pale hands reached instinctively for the dagger at his waist. He fumbled with the weapon, feeling a mixture of blood and rain water crawl down the cold steel blade and towards his hand. Hu tasted blood in his mouth and realized he had bit his tongue.

Another flash of lightning, the light revealing the darkness around him. A figure, clothed in black robes, dark hair flowing down her shoulders. Jade colored eyes. Pale skin. Green headband with golden linings. It was all that Hu could see in that moment of darkness, and it was all he wanted to see as he lunged forward with intent to kill.

He didn't hit anything. It was as if he had stabbed through a ghost. The silhouette of a woman was now gone, replaced by the return of an utter and inescapable darkness. A cruel laugh came his way, and Hu shook uncontrollably as he backed away towards a nearby wall.

"I love it when they fight back too," the voice giggled. "It's always a joy when they figure out that there is no escape. You're never getting away from me."

Hu burst from the cover of his wall as fast as he could, throwing his dagger at the direction of the voice. It didn't matter where it landed anymore. He just needed to get out of here!

_She had killed them, Hu shut his eyes, trying to forget. She had killed them all!_

_ "Come on, hurry it up you turtle dogs! We're late on our shipments!" the boss had said, before noticing a girl, clothed in a black uniform, staring right back at him. "And who in the damned spirits are you, missy? Get out of here. These parts ain't too nice to the ladies."_

_ "Oh, I know," the girl grinned. "That's why I'm here to collect."_

_ "Collect?" the boss didn't k now that these were his last words. "What do you mean coll-"_

_ And that was it. The boss was given a spike through the heart that had killed him instantly. Shen was next; he was hit with a large stone to the head that had snapped his head back so hard it broke his neck. And then there was Xiang. He was pulled underground. _

Hu could still hear the screams. Xiang's yells as he begged to be let out from beneath the earth. _Oh Spirits_. Hu could feel tears rolling down his cheeks, spurred by his fear and the voices that kept coming to haunt him. They had died so fast that Hu didn't even blink twice before Xiang was halfway through the metal floor, crying for mercy.

Hu rounded the next corner, and the next, and the next. He didn't know where he was going. Rainwater skewed his vision, and the thunder only deepened his fears. He lost sense of direction, and he lost direction of time. He aimlessly took dark alleyways, meeting the vicious looks of bandits and thieves around him. The local animals howled as he sprinted past them, and nature seemed to grow agitated with him as the storm began to rain even harder against his body.

But then, Hu found himself on a familiar street, one that led directly home! Hu's heart slowed down in pace, and he almost breathed a sigh of relief. He was almost there! With new hopes in the middle of an everlasting darkness, Hu ran faster than ever before. His house was just down the street to the left. All he needed to do was turn the corner and fling himself down the alleyway until he hit his doorstep. Then, he would be safe.

He ran faster. He made it down the street. He took one last look behind him to ensure that he wasn't followed. And then he rounded the corner.

And saw a pair of jade eyes staring back at him.

Suddenly, that last minute glimmer of hope vanished, and Hu was thrown back into his pit of despair. He tried running backwards, only to find that his escape route was blocked off by a wall of earth. Hu turned, his eyes stricken and red. Tears streamed down his cheeks once again as he fished for his dagger. Only then did Hu realize that he had already used his dagger, and now he was nothing more than a hopeless rat in a cage.

"Oh, you," the voice sighed. "I thought you'd put up more of a fight. Well. Time to collect."

There it was. The word collect, Hu thought. Right before bo-

A distinct rumbling was heard below Hu. As he dared to look, Hu saw the earth part beneath him, and he was thrown into a massive chasm. Hu screamed, before seeing the walls close in around him.

Hu saw no more.

* * *

When she had closed the chasm that had sealed Hu's fate, the cloaked silhouette dropped to her knees. There was a faint gasp from her mask, as her hands instinctively reached for her side. A sticky liquid, viscous, was now caught on her gloves. Lightning revealed the blood dripping from the dagger in her side. She ripped the steel weapon away, letting out another pained gasp as she did. The wound was not deep, as the throw was poor.

She ripped off a part of her uniform, regretting that she would have to repair the entire thing, and wrapped it around her waist and over the wound. She tied a strong knot and pulled hard, ignoring the stinging pain that came from the hole in her side. When the blood stopped seeping past the cloth, she gave a long awaited sigh.

She remembered when these incidents would never happen. Already, this dagger was one of many injuries she had sustained over the last four, five years. Scars along her arms. Fresh cuts against her legs. Burns along her back.

Her form was perfect, a flawless fighter. An even more excellent Earthbender. Yet she knew why at the height of her perfection, she would still be touchable, vulnerable to the weakest of fighters. She knew why even though she was fighting at the fullest of her capabilities, she still bore the scars of a careless warrior.

It was because she was perfect as a partner. Perfect when fighting alongside another. And not just any_ another_. It was fighting alongside a man, so stupid, so careless, yet so determined and so brave. When they fought, they were indeed untouchable. _Perfect_, in an almost sacred union that even put the union of marriage to shame.

Together they were inseparable, unbeatable, and any other word that described the height of their power.

But now that he was gone, driven away by another, she was left alone without her partner. And without him, her perfection was diminished. Her form was too vulnerable as it was designed for a partner that no longer fought alongside her.

She could have forgotten about him. Train herself to lose the thoughts of having her partner. Train herself to forget the attraction that she felt for him, and to erase all memories of him. But she couldn't. No matter how she tried, the loneliness lingered, and would not leave her alone. The injuries that she sustained because of it stuck out of her like an obvious blemish on her skin.

It was pathetic. She had already forgotten his name.

She breathed deeply, and her eyes slowly closed. She did not know if she was allowed to stay in such a dark and unwelcoming alley, but she could care less. In a few moments, Toph Bei Fong was asleep, all alone in that dark alley, and all thoughts of her partner were lost in her dreams.

* * *

**A/N: **Each chapter will be shorter than anything I've ever written probably. But then again, it's a prompt a day, so I'm assuming it has to be short. This took me a while to write.

Hope you enjoyed though! Please read and review. ^_^


	2. Touch

**A/N:**Day 2. Prompt 2. Touch.

Read and review. ^^

**Plot Summary:**Though it's been liberated for over five years, the city of Ba Sing Se is filled with war criminals, fiendish exiles, the treacherous Dai Li, and a complicated crime syndicate that have never left the capital city alone. Free from her parents once again, Toph Bei Fong has become the most feared vigilante in the city, turning in the foulest criminals on a daily basis. Still, her identity has been a tightly kept secret, and Toph has given up everything to protect a city that she never cared about. But to everyone else, Toph Bei Fong is dead.

* * *

**Touch**

"I got an updated map of the city! Cost me about forty gold coins though."

"Well, I am a fan of expensive atlases."

"This cost a lot a money! Don't make me hit you with _my_ fans."

"Very funny, Suki. Now give me that beautiful looking map over there. Oh look! It even has gold linings."

Suki rolled her eyes as Sokka ran his hands over the strong parchment, gazing with awe at such a beautifully crafted map. He looked his eyes over it, sniffed it, and then considered tasting it. He ran his self-proclaimed manly hands over the map, sighing at the pleasant feeling of an expensive item.

"Alright, Sokka," Suki tried to pull the map away from him. "Let's focus. We're not here on vacation remember? We have work to do."

Sokka nodded, rolling the map up, and handing it back to Suki.

"Right," Suki was surprised. It had only taken a moment for Sokka to regain composure and seriousness. "Let's get to it then."

"So we know the Earth King sent us to track someone, but he wouldn't tell us who," Suki started. "That's already a little bit suspicious."

"Maybe he doesn't know who we're tracking," Sokka offered, rubbing his chin, searching for non-existent hair. "The letter said that his best agents were unable to find…whoever it is we're looking for. By best agents, I'm assuming he's talking about the Dai Li that have swung over to our side? I guess that is a bit suspicious considering it's _the _Dai Li."

"We can deal with the King's suspicious nature later," Suki replied. "Right now let's focus on who we're after. Gender?"

"Unconfirmed, though it's probably a guy. You know, since this is a vigilante we're talking about." Sokka said. "Girls just aren't cut out for that kind of stuff you know?"

"Excuse me?" Suki asked, putting her hands on her hips. "Do we need to go through another session of teach-Sokka-that-girls-are-better-than-him? We don't _need _to catch this gu-person, right away you know. I'm always up for some butt whooping first."

"Hah!" Sokka accused. "Even you thought it was a guy for a second! Score one for Sokka!"

"Did not!" Suki frowned. "Oh whatever, I'll just write down unconfirmed, _minute possibility of being male_. Any luck on appearance?"

"Nope," Sokka pulled a scroll from his pockets. "According to the letter that all they've seen is…a black silhouette. Great. More creepy people."

"That's good enough for now," Suki continued to write these descriptions onto a small piece of parchment. "Fighting style? Any bending?"

"Unknown," Sokka read through the letter. "Everybody that he's attacked has never shown up. No bodies, no evidence. No wonder they couldn't get a trace of him. They speculate he's an Earthbender though. Good with knives too."

"Or her," Suki sighed. Some things never change. And for Sokka, staying the same happened more often than the change. "Last seen?"

"His victims vanished," Sokka showed Suki the letter. "Only eye witnesses were people who were watching a guy named Hu running like he saw a spirit or something. He's gone now. Probably dead too. The people questioned didn't even see someone following him."

"This is hopeless!" Suki let out a frustrated groan. "There's no way we can track this person with this information. It's all useless at this point."

"We've got to try," Sokka whispered uncharacteristically.

Sokka put his hands in his pockets, fumbled around with something, before standing and offering his hand to Suki. "Come on. If we're not going to get any information from the Earth King and his agents, we'll just have to go search on our own. Let's go."

"Have an itch in your pants?" Suki asked, pointing to Sokka's pockets.

"Just," Sokka grumbled almost incoherently. "Just a little piece of memory."

* * *

While Sokka was still the aspiring warrior, Suki was the professional. Stealth was the name of the game, and Suki played it as if she was born with it. But even with all the Kyoshi warriors at her command, there was almost no trace that Suki could find. No footprints, no markings, no mysteriously dropped items. The Earth King wasn't exaggerating in the letter; whoever this person was, he or she was truly an expert at hiding tracks.

By the end of the day, Suki was almost on the verge of giving up. This person was truly untrac-

"Found something!" Sokka cried from a nearby hallway.

"And there goes my credibility," Suki moaned.

When the rest of the warriors reassembled, they found Sokka holding an edged knife with dried blood over the steel. It had been tossed near the sewers, but the handle had been stuck in between the bars and had failed to drop into the tunnels below. When Sokka handed it to Suki, the Kyoshi warrior smiled to see a transcription on the side.

_Hu. Black Dragon._

"This is excellent," Suki grinned. "Good work Sokka."

"Wait," Ty Lee, dressed in her Kyoshi warrior uniform, looked puzzled. "What good is it that we have a single knife?"

"Well," Sokka beamed with pride, and pointed to the blade. "The transcription clearly gives us the name of our late victim. It also gives the name _Black Dragon._"

"_Black Dragon_," Suki continued. "Is the name of the third toughest crime syndicate in the city. They're practically in control of half of the city's local governments. Not to mention they're filthy rich. Wouldn't be surprised if someone wanted a stake in all that money."

"Clearly who we're looking for has been causing some trouble for these crime rings in the city," Sokka said. "So all we need to do, is look out for the Black Dragon headquarters."

"Keep an eye on it," Suki added.

"And at one point or another," Sokka finished. "Whoever we're looking for is bound to show up!"

"Don't you think it's strange though?" Ty Lee pointing to the dagger. "Why would the government ask us to take care of someone who's causing trouble for _crime _rings? Doesn't that sound a little…backwards?"

"True," Sokka agreed. "But while it does seem a little bit off, our target's been involved in more than just capturing criminals. According to the letter, it's just been a massive man slaughter! Helping Ba Sing Se or not, this guy's dangerous."

"Or _she_ could be dangerous," Suki sighed. "We'll ask questions later, but the job comes first. Let's track down whoever this person is. If the person has good intentions, I'm sure he or _she _would be willing to tell us just how this all came to be."

As they left the area, Suki saw Sokka fumbling with his pockets again, playing around with whatever he had hidden inside of them. There seemed to be a sense of calm when Sokka had played around with his pockets, as if toying with whatever was in those pockets brought Sokka peace and serenity. It was almost as if it took him away from reality.

_Strange, Suki thought._

_

* * *

_

When Suki found him, Sokka was sitting at the local bar, swirling a glass of wine around his fingertips. His newly crafted boomerang and sword were placed on the table as Sokka downed another drink. His eyes were distant, half closed and droopy. The rest of his body was hunched over the table as he called the waitress for another drink.

"I thought I might find you here," Suki smiled, taking a seat besides Sokka. "It's going to be your shift soon."

"Suki," Sokka refused to look at her. "Do you think. That it was a bad idea. For us? You know…"

"We've been over this," Suki rubbed his shoulder. "I'm fine with it. I would've done the same thing if I were you."

"It's just that, I don't want you getting the wrong idea," Sokka took another sip of the wine. "You know, that it was because of Toph, that this happened. It's got nothing to do with that."

"Of course not," Suki laughed. "I told you I was going to wait, didn't I? Oh Sokka, I've gotten over our break up years ago. What was it, four years ago now?"

"I've lost count," Sokka mumbled.

"Well, whatever the number is," Suki replied. "I'm not hurt. Anymore at least. I'm here for you, and I know this city brings back painful memories, but that's what I'm here for right?"

"Yeah," Sokka muttered. "Thanks Suki. For putting up with me, through all of this."

"No problem," Suki said. "I'll be back in an hour to tell you that it's your turn."

"But I thought my shift starts now?" Sokka turned to look at her.

"Not when you're drunk like that it's not," Suki laughed. "Like I said. One hour."

When Suki had left the room, Sokka once again fumbled with his pockets, before pulling out a pair of white puffballs. He played with them in his hands, feeling the soft material in his hands. They had belonged to a girl once, and these two ornaments that fit nicely with a green headdress that she wore were the last two things that Sokka had to remind him of her.

This sure brings back a lot of memories, Sokka thought.

_"Toph! Let's get out of here, this place is going down!" _

_ Toph merely shook her head. Sokka, wide-eyed, fiercely grabbed onto her arm. There was no way he was letting her go._

_ "What's wrong Toph! We have to leave!" _

_ Toph only mouthed. "I have to stay." _

_ "What? Why?" Sokka looked up at the ceiling, watching an array of explosions shattering the building's steel beams that kept it together. "Come on! This isn't the time to be joking around, Suki's waiting outside! We have to go. Now."_

_ "It's not a joke, Sokka," Toph whispered. "Go on without me. There's something I need to do." _

_ "Then I'm staying here until we go out together," Sokka could feel his grip on Toph's arm tighten. _

_ "No," Toph shook her head again. "You have Suki. I'll be back before you know it! Just go on without me. I'll be right there. Just let go of me."_

_ Sokka's grip on Toph loosened just a little bit. With the whole building collapsing and on fire, Toph, without the slightest concern in the world, brought her hand over Sokka's hand. Her soft hands slowly pried open Sokka's tight grip on her arm, peeling back each finger one by one. By the end of it all, Toph had Sokka's hand in her own, and she gave it a tight squeeze before letting go._

_ "You better be out of here," Sokka warned. _

_ "Just go," Toph sighed. "I'm the Blind Bandit remember? Exploding buildings can't touch me." _

_That was the last time Sokka saw her. When they plowed through the wreckage for her, all Sokka found was a pair of white puffballs, and he had kept them in memory ever since._

_

* * *

_

**A/N: **Hope you guys are enjoying this! I know I am.

Read and review!


	3. Moonlight

**A/N: **Day 3. Prompt 3. Moonlight.

Read and review. ^^

**Plot Summary: **Though it's been liberated for over five years, the city of Ba Sing Se is filled with war criminals, fiendish exiles, the treacherous Dai Li, and a complicated crime syndicate that have never left the capital city alone. Free from her parents once again, Toph Bei Fong has become the most feared vigilante in the city, turning in the foulest criminals on a daily basis. Still, her identity has been a tightly kept secret, and Toph has given up everything to protect a city that she never cared about. But to everyone else, Toph Bei Fong is dead.

* * *

**Moonlight**

Their hiding spot was the side of a roof overlooking the Black Dragon headquarters. Sokka thought that they could've settled for something more along the lines of a secret crow's nest, or an underwater fortress, but Suki had assured Sokka that simplicity was for the best. Ty Lee had spread out a number of mattresses against the slanted tile roof and latched them in place with hooks. When Sokka had arrived at their hideout, Suki and Ty Lee were already fast asleep on these mattresses. Ty Lee was snoring.

"Looks like we're sentry buddies," a Kyoshi Warrior, Lin, looked up to greet Sokka. "I've been wondering when you were going to show. I thought I'd have to listen to Ty Lee's snoring all night by myself."

"It's not that bad," Sokka chuckled. "After living with her for a couple of years, you'd think you'd get used to it."

"For someone who shares the same bunk as her, please," Lin rolled her eyes. "Nobody can get used to that."

"What have you guys seen so far?" Sokka asked. "Any sign of who we're after?"

"Nothing," Lin shook her head. "The moon gave us a clear view of the entire place until the clouds covered everything. Tonight though, there are more guards than ever. They're stationed at every door, at every entrance, and every exit. Seems to me that somebody's a little scared of the dark."

"Maybe the person we're after only operates when it's completely dark," Sokka wondered aloud. "Though that's hard to believe. He or she would be just as blinded as we are."

"What if the person doesn't need the light?" Lin suggested. "What if he or she can work in complete darkness?"

"There was only one person who could do that," Sokka looked away. "And we wouldn't have been tracking her if she was still alive."

"I-I'm sorry," Lin replied hastily. "I didn't mean to. I completely forgot, and-"

"No it's quite alright," Sokka smiled, though Lin doubted the sincerity of it. "It was a decent idea after all."

They spent the next half hour watching and waiting, though in the darkness there was almost nothing to pick up. The dim fires that were lit throughout the Black Dragon camp were all that Sokka could really pinpoint and recognize in this vast sea of black. Everything else seemed to just be shrouded in darkness, vaguely recognizable as inanimate shapes and objects.

There were few times when the moon decided to shine through the clouds overhead. Sokka would whisper to himself, thanking Yue for the help she was providing him, and thanked her again for watching over him. He would look intently for those few seconds where the moon shone the brightest over the camp, revealing even the darkest corners of the place.

"Sokka," Lin spoke again when the moon was once again covered by the clouds. "Suki told me everything about it, but I have always been curious about your perspective. I don't mean to offend or anything, but I wish to know. What happened to Toph?"

"You sure you want to know?" Sokka chuckled uncomfortably, rubbing his hair. "I'm sure you heard all of it from Suki. I'm not the best storyteller."

"If you are not comfortable with talking about it," Lin answered. "Then you don't need to say anything. I was just merely asking out of curiosity."

"No, no, it's fine," Sokka sighed. "It's not like we're going to see anything in this darkness anyway. Besides, sentry buddies have to get to know each other right? Plus, I have to get this story off my chest at one point or another."

Sokka took a deep breath. Just how was he going to tell the story? Should he start from the very beginning? No, that would take way too long. Sokka surprised himself. He had never told anyone his perspective of the whole incident. He would've thought that he would tell Katara, or Aang, or even Suki by now! Sokka felt just a tad bit worse about himself after realizing that Aang had to tell the whole story to the Bei Fong family, even though he wasn't the person remotely responsible for their daughter's death.

"We were searching for a hidden weapons cache in this city," Sokka started. "The Dai Li were still trying to control the city, and had stockpiled a massive arsenal of supplies and weapons that they would hand out to any surviving Fire Nation soldier in the city. Toph, Suki, and I. We were chosen to find the weapons cache and shut it down."

"It was pretty much the ideal team," Sokka laughed just thinking about it. "With Toph, it took us just a matter of days to scour the entire city for the weapons facility. With Suki's help, infiltrating the site was a breeze. And me. Well, I'm the idea guy, so finding a way to destroy the weapons was all up to me."

"The Dai Li," Sokka bit his lip. "The Dai Li had prepared for us ahead of time, and rigged the facility with explosives. By the time we got there, the weapons were still there, but all of it was already rigged with blasting jelly and other things that the Dai Li had purchased from a couple of pirates."

"Well we achieved the object at least," Sokka shrugged. "The minute the blasting jelly blew all the weapons were gone. No more jelly, no more weapons right?"

"The explosion ripped the building apart," Sokka said. "Toph did the best she could to keep the building together, but the Dai Li had rigged the entire building of blasting jelly with the intention of sealing us inside. Once the roof started caving in, you could say that it was all but over."

"Suki had been separated from us for quite some time," Sokka continued. "But from a window she had directed us toward the last remaining exit. On the way there though, Toph just…"

"Toph just…what?" Lin asked, seeing Sokka wipe his eyes quickly. "Were you attacked?"

"No," Sokka shook his head. "Toph just…wanted to stay. She told me that there was something she needed to get before leaving. Now I didn't know what it was, but I wasn't leaving her in there. I…shouldn't have left her in there. She was thirteen years old, what was I thinking?"

Sokka's clenched fist was raised, and for a moment Lin thought Sokka was about to hit something. Hit her! But after a moment had passed, Sokka's eyes drooped and his hands relaxed.

"After I got out alone," Sokka whispered. "The entire building was on fire. After I had gotten a safe distance, the entire building collapsed, and the rest of the blasting jelly detonated. There was a huge fireball, and it took out a couple of the surrounding buildings."

"We looked for any sign of her for days," Sokka sighed. "Looked through the wreckage, but there really wasn't anything to find. With a fireball of that size and power, there really wouldn't be any human remains to speak of. The search was called off after a week, and I went back to Kyoshi island. To the government, the operation was considered a success. Amongst all of us, we were all colossal failures."

"Do you blame yourself?" Lin asked, though the answer as already obvious to her.

"Of course!" Sokka snapped. "I'm the one that let her stay. I should've…I should've stayed there with her, until the very end."

"Then wouldn't you have died as well?" Lin said. "You would've died too if you stayed in that fireball."

"Maybe, probably," Sokka muttered. "But it's better than leaving your teammate behind."

"Thanks for telling me that," Lin placed her hand on Sokka's shoulder. "I'm sorry if I caused any unnecessary distress."

"No, it was all good," Sokka breathed deep. "I needed that. If anyone was showing gratitude towards anybody, it should be me. Thanks for letting me tell my story."

Coincidentally, the moon once again broke away from the dark clouds above them, revealing herself once Sokka concluded his tale. Sokka and Lin silently agreed that storytelling was over, and returned to watching over the Black Dragon headquarters.

But as the moon revealed its white light upon the camp, Sokka and Lin gasped as the camp's guards were now all but gone. What had once seemed like a battalion of soldiers was now nothing more than dust and echoes.

"There!" Lin whispered, pointing to a prone outline of a soldier below them. "Survivor?"

"Let's be ready to find out," Sokka pulled out his sword, the steel edge gleaming in the moonlight. "Wake Suki and Ty Lee up."

As Lin pulled a groggy Ty Lee awake, Sokka scaled the roof and landed on the floor of the Black Dragon headquarters, a massive complex characterized by row after row of apartments, private homes and gambling houses. As quietly as he could, Sokka made his way down a vacant street towards what could only be a human sprawled across the stone floor. When he approached, Sokka could now see that two spikes made from solid Earth were driven through the man's stomach, and had pinned him to the floor.

The soldier's eyes were wide open, his mouth agape and wide. If it hadn't been for the two stone barbs that had gutted this man, Sokka would've assumed that the soldier had died of a massive heart attack from the fear that he had felt. Sokka shuddered at the thought, wondering who could've possibly done this.

"Find what you're looking for, amongst the dead?" the chilling voice of a young woman met Sokka's ears. The voice sounded vaguely familiar, but Sokka was too gripped by a sudden intake of fear to realize the familiarity of the voice. Instead, the Water Tribesman instinctively tightened his grip on the sword in his hand as he turned toward the voice. "You don't seem like a Black Dragon member."

As Sokka turned, he saw that the voice came from a woman in a dark uniform standing just a few feet in front of him. Half of her body was covered by the shadow of the rooftops, while the other was bathed in the moonlight. Her long dark hair covered her eyes, though Sokka would've sworn that there was a hint of green in those eyes. Her skin was fair and pale, and she stood only a few inches short of Sokka's height. Her uniform was fastened tightly around her body, revealing her slim yet grown body.

If it wasn't for the creepy nature of her arrival, Sokka might've recognized her. Instead, Sokka only felt a small reminiscence, a small tingle in the back of his brain. It was a small message telling him that he _knew _this girl. Or at least he was supposed to.

"Do I know you?" Sokka breathed heavily as he spoke, his heart beating rapidly against his chest. "And why are you here? This place isn't known to be friendly to wandering ladies. What happened to all the men here?"

"So many questions. You remind me of someone that I forgot about a long time ago," she laughed, then sighed. Sokka thought she was crazy. "I'm flattered by your complements, but I don't think you're in a position to be flirting with the girl who is going to murder everybody in this camp."

"What?" Sokka looked around, hastily. "This place is a ghost town! What other people are there?"

"I don't even know why you had to ask," she put herself in a fighting stance, and Sokka's eyes widened. "You guys of course."

A stone spine shot out of the ground, aiming directly for Sokka's face. Sokka yelped in surprise as he jumped quickly out of the way to avoid the attack. But as he landed, a boulder soared toward him at immense speeds, threatening to crash right into him. Sokka, with little time to react, dropped to the floor to feel the boulder scraping against the surface of his hair.

"Don't you think you shouldn't be lying on the earth against an Earthbender?" she laughed, and brought her hands up, ready to attack again.

Sokka felt a pair of hands grab him, and saw Suki pulling him away. The floor where Sokka had just been lying on was now covered by thick spines that would've easily tore Sokka apart.

"I take back what I said," Sokka sighed in relief. "Girls can't definitely pull this vigilante or bounty hunter stuff off pretty darn well. She's good."

From the rooftops, Sokka saw Ty Lee running down the rooftops, already dressed in her Fire Nation attire. When Ty Lee had hopped down next to Suki and Sokka, the three of them formed a small circle around their opponent.

"Where's Lin?" Sokka whispered.

"Waking up the rest of the Kyoshi warriors," Ty Lee replied.

"Three against one eh?" the woman in uniform chuckled, never hinting that she was at all scared or intimidated by any of them. "So we're even then."

"Now look, all we want to do is talk," Sokka brandished the Earth King's letter in his hand. "This letter says…"

"I really don't care about what letters say," the woman shook her head. "I never could read them after all. "

"What my friend Sokka is saying," Suki said. "Is that the Earth King has asked us to investigate the disappearances of certain individuals in his city. We're asking if you know who's responsible for all of this."

"Sokka…" Sokka saw her play around with the name, pronouncing it in different and awkward ways. "I remember that name from somewhere. I just…can't remember where."

It was now that the moon shined the brightest. The clouds cleared overhead, giving Sokka clear vision of everything within his eyesight. The darkness that kept this woman hidden evaporated before the power of the moon, and Sokka finally was able to get a clear glimpse of her eyes.

They were green, no, more like a milky jade hue. Sokka stiffened up, as he would've recognized those eyes anywhere.

If she was who Sokka thought she was, boy was she beautiful.

"Toph?" Sokka took a step forward, not believing it himself. "Is that really you?"

"Toph?" the woman asked, forgetting about the name Sokka, and now playing around with the name Toph. "Toph, tough. Toph."

"Now that's a name I haven't heard in a very long time."

* * *

Hope you enjoyed! Read and review!


	4. Boomerang

**A/N: **Day 4. Prompt 4. Boomerang.

Get ready for some crazy action as Toph and Sokka face off.

Read and review. ^^

**Plot Summary: **Though it's been liberated for over five years, the city of Ba Sing Se is filled with war criminals, fiendish exiles, the treacherous Dai Li, and a complicated crime syndicate that have never left the capital city alone. Free from her parents once again, Toph Bei Fong has become the most feared vigilante in the city, turning in the foulest criminals on a daily basis. Still, her identity has been a tightly kept secret, and Toph has given up everything to protect a city that she never cared about. But to everyone else, Toph Bei Fong is dead.

* * *

**Boomerang**

"Now that's a name I haven't heard in a very long time," she repeated. Her face grew dark. "Who are you three? Spies? Assassins?"

"Something's not right," Suki murmured towards Sokka. "She definitely looks what Toph might look like if she grew out. But this definitely isn't her. It can't be her, can it?"

"If it really is Toph, then she's been gone for five years," Sokka murmured back. "Who knows what could've happened to her in that time frame? Still, why doesn't she even remotely remember any of us?"

"Yeah, especially you," Suki muttered.

"Hey, hey!" Toph grinned, putting her hands on her hips. "I don't like the chatter without me in it. Or are you guys planning on attacking first? Now that isn't fair!"

"Look," Sokka put his hands up. "I'm Sokka remember? And that's Suki, and Ty Lee. We're friends! Now, we don't want to hurt you, so could you tell us what in Spirits is going on here, and why don't you remember any of us?"

"Hah!" Toph chuckled. "Hurt me. That's a good one sword boy. If it wasn't for your girl over there, you'd have been killed like all the rest of the bone heads in this camp. Oh I spoiled it didn't I?"

"Spoiled…what?" Sokka asked. Both Ty Lee and Suki gave questioning looks towards each other as Toph's eyes glared at each and every one of them.

"Spoiled the fact that I murdered everybody here," Toph shrugged. "Guess that means I'm going to have to kill you guys too."

"Wait!" Sokka yelled back. "Don't you remember any of us? The war? Aang? Katara? Blind Bandit? Earth Rumble?"

Sokka's words all fell on deaf ears. Toph raised her hands to eye level, and the floor beneath her shook violently as small bits and pieces of rocks, formed in the shapes of large needles settled themselves around her. Their sharp edges were all pointed at Sokka, Suki, and Ty Lee, and the three of them gave each other nervous looks.

"Looks like Toph isn't in the mood to discuss here, Sokka," Suki looked at Sokka nervously. "Sokka…"

"No!" Sokka shook his head. "There has to be some way to get through to her. Trigger her memory. Something."

"Sokka," Ty Lee looked at Sokka too. "We don't even know if it is Toph. And even if it is, we don't know what's wrong with her! I don't think we know enough to jog her memory!"

"It's too late for that!" Suki cried desperately, grabbing a hold of Sokka's arm. "Let's go!"

Toph attacked at that very moment. The needles ricocheted off the walls and crashed into the streets, creating a massive dust cloud as Toph peppered the area with hundreds of pieces of rock. Ty Lee bounded up the walls to avoid the attacks while Suki pushed herself and Sokka into an adjacent alley. The entire street was now completely destroyed, cracked and split open by the attack.

"Sokka," Ty Lee called from the roof. "Do you guys think Toph got amnesia when you left her in that building? Because she doesn't remember us one bit!"

"Gee, thanks for the news update Ty Lee!" Sokka called back. "If I find anything else out I'll let you know."

"Sokka, what do we do?" Suki asked, putting the Water Tribe warrior down.

"Why are you asking me!" Sokka snapped.

"You're the idea guy!" Suki countered. "And besides, this is Toph. You know her best out of any of us!"

"I knew the _old _Toph better than anyone else," Sokka corrected. "We're not facing that Toph. We're facing crazy Earthbending mega-psycho Toph! Your guesses are about as good as mine right now."

"Well, if this is Toph," Suki bit her lip. "We're going to take her down."

"What?" Sokka asked, incredulous. "Don't you even think about-"

"I wasn't talking about killing her," Suki replied. "I mean we have to knock her out. Unconscious. Use Ty Lee and block her chi. If she's bent on murdering all of us, there's no way we can stop her. We have to make a stand. And besides, if we capture her, we'll at least get a chance to figure out what's wrong with her."

"Are you guys done making up plans!" Toph laughed from around the corner. "Because ready or not, here I come."

"All right," Sokka sighed, putting his hands on his sword and boomerang. "But I'm not going to like this one bit."

"I don't think any of us like it," Suki turned to Ty Lee. "Ty Lee! We're going to cover for you! We need you to hit Toph's pressure points!"

"Got it!" Ty Lee nodded to them from the rooftops.

"Let's go!" Suki pulled Sokka to his feet, and drew her fans from her pockets. "Don't hold back Sokka. As far as we know, Toph won't do the same for us."

As Sokka and Suki burst from the shadows of the alley, they found Toph eagerly waiting for them. Suki went in first and swiped violently with her fans, but Toph barely dodged the attack and proceeded to slam her fist into Suki's midsection, sending the Kyoshi warrior skidding backwards and out of breath. Sokka followed Suki and swung his sword, with the weapon still encased in its sheath.

Toph ducked to avoid the blow and sent a medium sized boulder soaring towards the Water Tribe warrior. With no time to avoid the blow, Sokka took the hit. The feeling of a boulder pounding into his midsection was equivalent to Appa stepping onto him, and Sokka gasped for breath as he dropped to the floor.

"I noticed you guys are nonbenders," Toph shrugged. "Don't know what you guys are doing, but you oughta know by now that there's not a single nonbender that can best me in an even match."

As if to try to prove her wrong, Suki attacked again. This time, she threw her fans as a distraction and charged straight in. Toph reacted slowly to the throw, and grunted as part of the sharp fans clipped her cheek, slicing open her dark suit and spraying a small amount of blood into the air. Suki threw her right fist at Toph, attempting to clip the Blind Bandit in the face, but was launched backwards by a column of earth that shot out from under her.

When Suki landed, she was standing next to Sokka, who was just barely starting to rise from the blow he had just taken to the stomach. Both of them looked at each other and nodded. If they were really going to fight someone as skilled as Toph and give Ty Lee time to attack, they were going to have to fight her at the same time.

Together, Sokka and Suki charged Toph, weapons and fist at the ready. Both of them knew that they held one advantage. Any bender needed specific hand movements to use the elements. In a fight at close range, Toph was limited to a small set of attacks and hand motions that limited her capabilities. If Sokka and Suki continued to fight Toph in close range, there was no way Toph could use any of her most powerful attacks.

But as soon as Sokka and Suki engaged Toph together, Sokka knew instantly that something was wrong.

He hadn't noticed it before. Toph's form when fighting against a single opponent looked absolutely flawless. It would take an incredibly high caliber bender to even fight on par with Toph for a short period of time. But the minute that Toph was fighting against two opponents, her form seemed to diminish. Weaknesses emerged that could've easily been fixed. Blows that could've easily been avoided.

After the first few seconds, Sokka began to calculate the times where he would score a hit with the blunt edge of his sword, and he was almost never wrong about it.

It was as if Toph was relying on someone else to deflect these blows or protect her against the attacks. If Toph had a competent partner, she would've been untouchable. But without one, and against two opponents at the same time, Sokka and Suki seemed to easily score blows against her.

It seemed Toph was realizing this too, as she now attempted to do whatever was in her power to separate Sokka and Suki from each other. She kicked the ground, and a long pole made from the stone floor fell into her hand. Wielding it as a spear, Toph used the elongated weapon to keep Sokka and Suki at a distance from each other, giving herself time to use her Earthbending.

At this point, Ty lee realized that the time to attack was now, and she hopped down from the rooftop to join the fight. With a surprise attack, Ty Lee twirled above Toph's head and landed behind her. With two precise jabs, Toph's left arm was immobilized, and Ty Lee had hopped away from the furious swipes of the Blind Bandit's earth spear.

"Dang it," Ty Lee growled.

"Don't worry," Suki assured Ty Lee. "Just one more time."

"No," Ty Lee held up her hand. "I mean I broke a fingernail."

Toph, unable to move her left arm, knew that playing around was over. She stomped the ground with her feet, and the ground beneath her shot outwards in a massive blast, with Toph at the epicenter. The entire battlefield rumbled and exploded, sending bits and pieces of earth flying in every direction. The blast created a crater at the very center, where Toph stood triumphantly, feeling the vibrations of her three opponents lying against three separate walls.

Either by fate or by sheer randomness, Sokka didn't know, but Toph decided to walk towards Sokka first. In a last attempt to land a blow, Sokka quickly drew his boomerang and flung it as hard as he could. But Toph must've suspected the attack and turned her head as the boomerang soared past her. Sokka must've underestimated his strength, as the boomerang flew far, and the wind carried it even farther.

She smirked at him, in a grin that made Sokka tear up. His arms were both bruised and hurt, and his legs were in position to move. But in spite of all the pain he was feeling, all the pent up frustration that he had saved throughout the years, Sokka managed to suddenly smile. He smiled so widely and laughed in such a pure tone that Toph was taken aback.

"Uh," Toph raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't you be begging for mercy before I kill you?"

"No. Because now I realize that you won't," Sokka shook his head, tears of mirth jumping into his eyes. "I'm just so happy that you're alive. So happy that after all these years, my stupidity didn't lead to your death."

"What are you talking about?" Toph folded her arms. "Sounds like crazy talk from someone who's about to die."

Toph bended a mound of earth into a spear tipped weapon and held it close to Sokka's face. But Sokka didn't care. Their battle had proven everything. If Toph had really had amnesia, there was no way she would've remembered how to dodge Sokka's boomerang. There was something that Toph wasn't telling him.

"You know," Sokka kept laughing, even as the spear mildly scratched against his forehead, drawing blood. "I never knew what you were searching for when we went back into the weapons cache until it was too late. I didn't know you cared at all about me, but I was so completely wrong."

"Weapons cache?" Toph gave that blank eyed look again. But Sokka now saw the truth. Toph had known about it all along. "Why is everything you say sounding so familiar?"

"Because I'm Sokka!" Sokka smiled back at her. "And we're partners! In life or death, Toph, and I'm glad I get to see you again. You look great in black!"

"Shut up!" Toph eye's betrayed her fear and anxiety. Her tough exterior seemed to be cracking as she struggled to understand why Sokka was so happy in the face of death. "We're not partners. Your name isn't Sokka! You're just another one of those stupid every day villains that I've been killing on the streets."

"So you do mildly remember?" Sokka chuckled. "It's about time."

"Shut up!" Toph glared, the tip of the spear pressing closer towards Sokka's face. "The real Sokka isn't here. He's away on some island with his girlfriend. He left a girl here all alone for five years! She thought she could defend herself, but she couldn't. Not when she's forced to kill on someone else's behalf. Not when she's forced to down those stupid drinks, and most definitely not when she's screaming from all the burns on her body!"

"So you've been here all along." Sokka whispered. "But we looked for you in the wreckage! You were never found."

Toph refused to answer, but she did lower the spear. At the tip of the sharp spear, Sokka saw his blood, mixed with tears, Toph's tears as she dropped the weapon on the floor.

"What were you looking for," Sokka asked. "What was so important to you that you had to stay behind and leave me without you?"

Toph said nothing. It wasn't any use. Sokka already knew.

She merely listened to the winds, and listened intently for a sharp object spinning behind her. She cocked her head sideways, and the curved weapon flew past her face. Sokka caught the weapon in his hands, amazed that it had taken so long to return. When Sokka looked back up, Toph's eyes had calmed, and her voice was now down to a mere whisper.

"What were you looking for, Toph?"

"Your boomerang."

* * *

**A/N: **The motives are revealed, and Toph's hysteria is solved. But what are the reasons behind it? Find out tomorrow. ^^


	5. Invisible

**A/N: **Day 5. Prompt 5. Invisible.

As the action cools down, what will happen between these long lost friends?

Read and review. ^^

**Plot Summary: **Though it's been liberated for over five years, the city of Ba Sing Se is filled with war criminals, fiendish exiles, the treacherous Dai Li, and a complicated crime syndicate that have never left the capital city alone. Free from her parents once again, Toph Bei Fong has become the most feared vigilante in the city, turning in the foulest criminals on a daily basis. Still, her identity has been a tightly kept secret, and Toph has given up everything to protect a city that she never cared about. But to everyone else, Toph Bei Fong is dead.

* * *

**Invisible**

"You sure she's ok like this? I mean, she just tried to kill all of us! And you think she was just lying to us about all of it? It was like she was on some kind of frenzy or something!"

"She'll be fine."

"I've taken a look at her, Sokka, and she's anything but fine. There are markings all over her arms, and half of them aren't even wounds. She has a lot of explaining to do."

"Fine, but let me talk to her then."

"Fine, fine. We'll have it your way. Stay safe Sokka. We'll be watching your back."

"Thanks Ty Lee, but I think I'll handle this one on my own."

Sokka closed the door behind him, locked it, and was once again, staring straight into darkness. It was a quiet place, and as Sokka adjusted to the darkness, he could make out the decorated earth floor that he was standing on. He could see the fine outlines of a large bed, and a pale girl sitting against the edges of the mattresses. Her eyes were pointed at the floor, her feet swaying gently over the side of the bed. When her feet touched the floor, her head turned towards Sokka, and she sighed.

"What do you want?" said Toph.

"Just checking up on how you're doing," Sokka shrugged, walking over to the bed, a tray with an assortment of foods in his hands. "I brought you some food."

"I'm not hungry." Toph muttered. "Just leave me alone."

"Toph, you're not acting like yourself," Sokka frowned, putting the tray on a table near the bed. "You used to always love eating food!"

"Used to is the phrase, isn't it?" Toph fell back onto the bed, sprawling herself out against the covers. "You haven't seen me for years Sokka. Things can't go back to normal that quickly. Not after all that's happened."

"Well," Sokka sat on the bed. "What did happen?"

"I changed," Toph replied. "I'm not sure what caused it. A lot of things probably. I'm not really sure if you want to sit so close to me like that."

"Why not?" Sokka asked.

"Because I don't know what I'm going to do," Toph said, though it almost seemed like she was talking to herself, and not towards Sokka. "Because I don't know if you're enough to keep me from becoming even more of a monster."

"Oh come on," Sokka chuckled, reaching out to pat her shoulder. "You're not a monster."

But as Sokka touched the edges of Toph's arm, the girl bolted up from her prone state, grabbing Sokka by the collar and slamming him against the wall. Toph swiftly reached into a hidden pocket near her leg and a knife was quickly pressed against Sokka's throat, threatening to spill blood all over the carpet. Sokka stared in amazement. He didn't even have a second to react.

"Toph? Sokka?" a noise came from behind the locked door. The door shook as Suki tried to get in. "What's that noise. What is going on in there?"

At this distance, Sokka could hear the pained breaths that Toph was taking as she held the blunt edge of the knife firmly against Sokka's throat. Her eyes were emotionless, cold, and brutal. Her teeth were clenched, as if she was in pain, and the grip on her knife tightened.

"See?" Toph's voice grew softer. "If you're not careful, I'm going to kill you without myself knowing."

"Why did you come back?" Toph spoke again before Sokka could form a reply. "You shouldn't have come back."

"The Earth King sent us a message asking for us to investigate the disappearances of people in his city," Sokka replied softly, the pressure against his throat keeping him from speaking any louder. "Didn't know it was you though."

"Oh," Toph's eyes gave away her surprise. "Well, guess I was hoping for too much right? And to think I'd really believe that you'd come back and look for me. What a thought."

"I would've looked for months if everyone else hadn't stopped me," Sokka protested. "I would've searched the whole city to find you."

"And you would've never found me," Toph loosened her grip on the knife, and pressed her forehead against Sokka's. "Because I figured out something Sokka. After that, you could say I had to become invisible."

"Figured out what?" Sokka was surprise at the close contact between them, and his cheeks felt hot as he found himself looking deeply in Toph's eyes.

"That there's a threat," Toph said. "A threat that's more dangerous than the Fire Nation. More dangerous than Azula. More dangerous than Ozai. And it's here. In this city. And that's why I never returned after all these years. Because I've been caught up fighting it."

"More dangerous than Azula," Sokka gasped. "Is that something you should really be fighting on your own?"

"Yes, and it's something I have to do alone," Toph whispered. "The problem is this city. Ba Sing Se. The whole city turns even the most noble of warriors into the lowest of slime. Its rules, its traditions. The criminals, the mob, the Dai Li. Even the pure hearted are corrupted by this...invisible evil in the city."

"But it all starts here," Toph continued. "Everything wrong with this world, starts with Ba Sing Se, and ends with Ba Sing Se. The crime bosses who funded the war. The rebels who still fight the war. The Dai Li, who try to justify the war. This city is a disease, and I'm its cure."

"What are you talking about," Sokka replied, astonished. "Then why didn't you seek out help? Why do you have to do this all alone?"

"Because the only way to cure this city," Toph whispered. "Is to become the disease. To become the most ruthless and cold blooded bounty hunter in the history of Ba Sing Se. To become a cold blooded serial killer, that scares everybody so badly that everyone is too frightened to fight. That's what I've become Sokka. That's why I'm a monster."

"That's ridiculous!" Sokka almost yelled in surprise. "You _hate _this city! And even if, there are other ways to do this Toph. Why did you do this yourself?"

There was a long pause, as Toph looked away, not willing to answer. A few times her mouth opened, then closed, as if there was something that she wanted to say, but couldn't say it the way she wanted to. The silence went on for a long time, but Sokka merely waited. At one point or another, Toph would say it.

"Because," Toph finally said. "Because I was selfish."

"Selfish?" Sokka raised an eyebrow. "What you're doing sounds anything but selfish."

"But it is, Sokka," Toph smiled. "You never did get it did you? You were never good at discerning a woman's heart, even when it was Suki's heart. Well, I'm not surprised actually. I never really did anything to show you how I felt."

"Toph?" Sokka scratched his head, chuckling nervously. "Is there something that you've been meaning to tell me? Because I'm sort of not following you here."

"I was sick of being in the way, ok?" Toph spit it out as quickly as possible. "All the fighting, and the party crashing. That was fun, but that was never enough for me. I wanted more from you, even though I knew I would never get it. It was like I was invisible, even though you always knew I was there."

"B-but," Sokka replied, obviously still not understanding what Toph was getting at. "To become like this? That sounds a little bit extreme don't you think?"

"I…" Toph looked away. "I never meant for myself to become like this. To become who I am. To become someone who would just kill at the snap of a finger. All I wanted was to get away from you, to forget about you. But in the end, all I got were scars to prove that I could never leave you."

"People can always change," Sokka suggested. "Look at us now. Almost chatting like old buddies. Except for the knife to the throat thing anyway."

"Not me," Toph shook her head. "Not after all the horrible things that I've done to people. I'm not who you think I am Sokka."

"But I know who you are," Sokka smiled reassuringly. "You're Toph Bei Fong! You're as hard as a rock and as cool as a marble. Let us help you, Toph."

"I can't risk your life for anything Sokka," Toph smiled back at him, tears forming in her eyes. "I want you to leave this city, and never return. Because if you do, I can't make any promise that I'll hold back again."

"If you won't let Suki and Ty Lee stay, that's cool," Sokka shrugged. "But at least let me help you! We're best friends. We can get through anything together! We'll de-monstify you! Trust me, it'll be fun!"

"I don't care about Suki and Ty Lee!" Toph shook Sokka violently, yelling while she did. "I care about you! I don't want you here because you can't 'de-monstify' me. Have you stopped and thought for one second that maybe what I'm saying to you is not all about fun and games? That maybe some girl, five years ago, was head over heels for some guy that she loved fighting with? And now that she sees him again, she's scared of showing him how scary she's become. And, oh I don't know, maybe she's scared that she'll kill the only boy that she's ever loved?"

Sokka didn't say anything. What was there to say? Toph stood there, staring up at Sokka with eyes that blinked away the tears that were constantly forming again and again. After a couple moments, Toph must have realized that she just confessed her undying live to the boy she was holding a knife to. Snarling, she pushed Sokka to the floor, and threw the knife down besides him. She walked to the window, and set a foot on the edge, preparing to jump.

"Wait!" Sokka rushed forward to grab Toph's arm. "Don't go!"

Sokka reached Toph just in time. His hand tightened around Toph's arm and Sokka refused to let go.

"Let me go!" Toph grunted, struggling to break free. "Sokka, I'm doing this for you. Stop making this harder than it already is!"

"Toph," Sokka said. "Don't do this to yourself. If anything let me be your partner again. All those wounds on your body. It's because you never got used to fighting alone again right? Well if that's the case. Let me fight with you! I feel guilty enough letting you become like this. Let me try to save you. Even if it is from yourself."

Toph sighed, but to Sokka's surprise, there was a smile that formed on her lips.

"You would do all of that for me?" Toph chuckled, and to Sokka's joy, it was the first time Toph's chuckle echoed with happiness and jubilance. "You would put up with a mass serial killer just to help me?"

"Give me a week," Sokka promised. "And if I've failed to change your mind, I promise to never see you again."

Toph bit her lip, considering Sokka's proposal.

"I don't know what's going to happen," Toph said. "I don't want to hurt you."

"It'll hurt me more to see you leave me again," Sokka urged. "Toph, you'll never get a second shot if you leave now. It was hard finding you once. But ask yourself, this. What if I'm right? What if that little spark of the old Toph is still in you? What if you're not who you really think you are, and what if you don't need to do this all alone? If I go, I don't know what's going to happen to you, but we both know it's not good."

"I'll respect your wishes," Sokka finished.

"So what's it going to be?"

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry this is SOOOO late, but I had a lot of complications today.

So tomorrow! Find out Toph's choice (You guys probably hate me for not putting it in today ;) ), and see what Sokka has in store for us!

Enjoy! Read and review!


	6. Sympathy

**A/N:**Day 6. Prompt 6. Sympathy.

If anybody is confused as to what the hell is going on with Toph. Let me know…I shall bare that as a reminder to myself to not make things too complicated.

Enjoy.

**Plot Summary:**Though it's been liberated for over five years, the city of Ba Sing Se is filled with war criminals, fiendish exiles, the treacherous Dai Li, and a complicated crime syndicate that have never left the capital city alone. Free from her parents once again, Toph Bei Fong has become the most feared vigilante in the city, turning in the foulest criminals on a daily basis. Still, her identity has been a tightly kept secret, and Toph has given up everything to protect a city that she never cared about. But to everyone else, Toph Bei Fong is dead.

* * *

**Sympathy**

The bar was empty that night, save for two people, and the bartender wasn't Sokka's first choice as a companion. So, Sokka drank quietly, taking small sips at a time. His face was already red from the drinks, but Sokka could care less. His eyes were empty as he downed another drink, calling to the bartender for another.

"Sir, this is your fourth drink," the bartender called back to him. "Most people drop after their third. Are you sure you still want another?"

"Fine, fine," Sokka waved his hands awkwardly. "Just get me a glass of water then."

"You know," the bartender slid a glass down the aisle. "I haven't seen a young man so beat up since the King himself walked in a couple years ago. What's going on there pal? Having a rough time with the ladies?"

"You got that right," Sokka nodded. "Women just don't get it you know? When you try to help them, they just don't care! They just go 'Oh I'm an independent woman.' Or 'Oh, this isn't your choice to make.' Well you know what? If women were so damn independent they can just go make their babies by themselves!"

"Heh," the bartender chuckled. "Sounds you like got yourself a keeper there, pal."

"Oh she's a keeper alright," Sokka grinned back at him, waving his index finger in circles. "You should've seen her in her black outfit. Boy, did she grow out! But damn it, if I have to listen to one more of this I'm-doing-this-to-save-you stuff, I think I'm gonna have to swipe at her with my boomerang!"

"Ok, ok," the bartender picked up the glass of water. "Looks like someone needs to lay off of any type of drink. Period."

"Did I just say she was a keeper?" Sokka asked. "Because if I did, I am so sorry. I just meant that she's my best friend you know? But uh…that doesn't mean I can't complement her you know? Oh, you know how it is, right? I mean, I still got a girl back at the place…"

"Right, right," said the bartender. "Look. I don't know what's going on inside that little head of yours, but seriously. Stop whining ok? It's driving me nuts. I've already had enough cry baby love stricken boys inside my bar, and I don't want to waste any of my sympathy on you alright?"

"Now wait just a second," Sokka stood up from his stool. "Who you calling love stricken? I ain't in love! I broke up with Suki years ago!"

"You're in here drinking because of some girl," the bartender said dryly. "Now either she was your mother, which I highly doubt, or your sister, which I also highly doubt, or a girl you're trying to woo, which I'm actually very confident in. But believe, I've seen depressed boys here all the time. Why do you think I named this place Teardrops of the East? Because idiots like you, in their fits of despair, like to come to a place with a depressing name."

"I see what you did there," Sokka winked. "But seriously, I'm not in love!"

"And I'm the Firelord," the bartender muttered. "Stores closing. Get out. Now."

* * *

"Well he wasn't any help," Sokka muttered, strolling down the street. The road was littered with lit lamps, guiding Sokka down a somewhat familiar road. "Oh he's just dumb, Sokka. He doesn't know anything about love. Bartenders. Love. Hah! Good joke Sokka. You crack me up!"

Feeling a little ashamed himself for drinking so much, Sokka shrugged his boomerang off his shoulder and tossed it out, catching it as it returned to him. It had become second nature really. Back when the war had ended, Sokka had become notable for his fighting skills and talent with the boomerang.

That was when Sokka had still been fighting with Toph.

Sokka sighed to himself. He was still confused about everything that had happened just an hour before. It seemed like his persuasion had worked. It had looked, if only for a split second, that Toph was willing to do something his way for once. But in the end, Toph just shook her head, and told Sokka to find a good woman.

"Find a good woman!" Sokka yelled out loud. "Now is that the kind of advice you give to your best friend before you leave him forever? That's stupid advice. Now why would Toph even care about me and what kind of women I deal with? That's just ridiculous."

He threw his boomerang again.

_It's all around us,_

_ But still difficult to see,_

_ We're blinder than we think,_

Sokka turned his attention to the voice from a nearby building. A large guard stood at the doorstep of a exquisitely decorated door, and the strong light indicated that something was going on. A secret ritual? Probably not. A secret meeting? Maybe?

"Or Haiku class?" Sokka smirked. "Definitely. Just what I needed."

Sokka snatched his boomerang out of the air, and walked straight toward the guard. Though intoxicated, Sokka made a point to speak away from the guard to hide the fact that he had downed more drinks than his fair share. The guard looked at him quizzically and asked if he had seen him before. Sokka merely laughed and said of course not!

When he entered, a young lady had just sat down, having finished her haiku. An older lady looked at Sokka, and glared instantly at his arrival.

_I see you've returned,_

_As uncivil as ever,_

_Some things never change,_

Sokka smiled, and eagerly accepted the challenge.

_I don't need to change,_

_Still as handsome as ever,_

_You can't deny it,_

The elder lady, irritated, rolled her eyes at such arrogance and proceeded to whip up another rebuttal.

_Why of course I can,_

_You come here with no lady,_

_You are desperate,_

Sokka frowned. He needed some time to get his mind off of Toph, but these insults were completely uncalled for! At least, that's what Sokka thought.

_Men like me need none,_

_Girls fall for me left and right,_

_They should come to me,_

A few girls in the room giggled. Out of the corner of Sokka's ears, there was a rustling of bushes in the window behind him. But then the elder lady spoke once again, and Sokka forgot about the rustling.

_Your arrogance fails,_

_I can clearly see the truth,_

_Your heart is broken,_

Sokka shrugged.

_You might be right there,_

_Though I care not for such things,_

_All I need is meat,_

Sokka folded his arms, comfortable with his response, but the lady instantly retorted with a devious chuckle.

_Oh how you struggle,_

_Here, a man, lost and confused,_

_Searching for his love,_

The girls around were amazed at such the quick rapid fire verses between the two, though Sokka would've liked it if the woman was less perceptive.

_I search for no one,_

_I stopped searching long ago,_

_I could not follow,_

The elder lady merely smiled at him, and she flipped a small tile in between her fingers. Though Sokka could barely make out the design as it flipped back into her pockets, he could've sworn that it was a White Lotus tile.

_Don't lie to me now,_

_The mark on you is recent,_

_Strange girl you're after_

Sokka frowned.

_She is not that strange,_

_Only a little confused,_

_I can still save her,_

The elder lady then smiled, though Sokka didn't know why. Was she satisfied at this response? Sokka really didn't know, but her next few lines were more reassuring than the last few.

_Man deeply in love,_

_Go now, I am sure she waits,_

_She needs sympathy,_

It was now that the bushes behind him rustled louder than ever before, and Sokka noticed that someone had been listening in on his poems. Sokka looked back at the elder woman, who gave Sokka an encouraging wink, and waved him away. As he looked again, a shadow burst from the bushes and took off into the night.

At that moment, Sokka took no time to wait. He bolted out of the front door, almost tripping down the stairs, and fled after the shadow.

Behind him, he could hear the verses of another girl coming up to speak.

_Blind Bandit was right,_

_ She was scared he would not stop,_

_ Trying to save her._

_ "_Girls and their languages," Sokka muttered to himself.

But all explanations would have to wait.

There was a shadow in the distance.

* * *

**A/N: Shortest chapter out of all of them. But for some reason, I liked this one the most.**

**Enjoy. ^^**


	7. Legacy

**A/N: **Day 7. Prompt 7. Legacy.

Sokka continues his search for Toph. At the end of the day, what will he find?

Enjoy this FINAL segment! Yes, it's finally over, and I hope you like it! ^^

**Plot Summary: **Though it's been liberated for over five years, the city of Ba Sing Se is filled with war criminals, fiendish exiles, the treacherous Dai Li, and a complicated crime syndicate that have never left the capital city alone. Free from her parents once again, Toph Bei Fong has become the most feared vigilante in the city, turning in the foulest criminals on a daily basis. Still, her identity has been a tightly kept secret, and Toph has given up everything to protect a city that she never cared about. But to everyone else, Toph Bei Fong is dead.

* * *

**Legacy**

Sokka chased after the fleeing figure in front of him. Even in the dark, Sokka could now easily make out the swing of Toph's hair, the contours of her headdress, and her barefoot feet. Together, they raced across the streets, their outlines barely noticeable on the dim streets.

All was quiet, save for the quick tap of their footsteps as they ran and the shortness of their breaths. Nobody was out half past midnight, and a few voices shouted at the footsteps to be quiet. Both Sokka and Toph ignored them, and continued running.

Sokka caught up to Toph quickly. The Blind Bandit had indeed grown, but Sokka's legs had always been longer and quicker. By the time they had ran into the lower ring, Sokka and Toph were running side by side, with Sokka giving Toph his ever so stupid grin, and Toph giving Sokka a glare that would've stopped a Sabertooth Mooselion in its tracks.

"You can't outrun me, Toph," Sokka laughed. "How tall are you now?"

"Wouldn't know," Toph shrugged. "Didn't I say something about staying away from me?"

"It crossed my mind," Sokka panted as he ran. "But then I think I forgot it. Would you care explaining all of that to me again?"

"Stop being stupid Sokka!" Toph moaned. "I told you that if you didn't stay away from me, something really bad can happen to you!"

"Nothing's happening bad right now," Sokka looked around as if to prove his point. "And unless you call running next to your best friend a bad thing, then I suggest you start explaining to me what you exactly mean by 'bad'."

Toph opened her mouth to speak, but at the moment, someone else stepped out from the shadows to answer for her.

A fist flew out of nowhere, and Sokka felt his face get slammed into the ground before he could see who had thrown the punch. Had it not been for his hands that had covered his face before he hit the floor, Sokka would've immediately lost consciousness. Nonetheless, Sokka groaned, the blow having bruised his cheek and caused his nose to bleed.

"Sokka!" Sokka could hear Toph yelp.

"Now what do we have here," a rough voice came from Sokka's body. "Nobody said that a girl and a boy like yourselves could wander here. Don't you know where you're at boy?"

"Maybe you can enlighten me," Sokka groaned, struggling to stand. There were people that now moved all around Sokka and Toph, and Sokka noticed that they were surrounded.

"Smart mouth huh?" Sokka felt himself dragged straight up. His eyes locked with the dark eyes of a middle aged man, a recently shaved beard, and a smoking pipe hanging from his mouth. The man snarled. "Ever heard about the Tiger Lilies? Do you know what we do to fellas like you?"

"Tiger Lilies?" Sokka burst out laughing, not noticing Toph's look of horror as he giggled. Tears of mirth came to his eyes as he howled with laughter. "That's got to be the stupidest name I've ever heard. What is this? You guys rob flowers for a living?"

"Why you," the man growled, and reached in his pocket for his concealed knife. Holding Sokka by the collar, he twirled the knife once in his hands before lunging forward for the kill.

"No!" came a cry from behind, and before the man could slam the knife down Sokka's throat, he was thrown back, a large boulder ramming against his stomach.

Toph came forward and raised her hands, sending a spike through the man's chest, killing him instantly. When Toph turned to look at him, Sokka could see a look of concern in her face as Toph panted heavily, already exhausted. Toph turned back towards the dead man, and looked around at the moving vibrations around her.

"Y-you just killed that guy," Sokka whispered to her, his voice stuttering. "You overdid that a little did you?"

"I told you not to follow me," Toph snarled, but looked away from Sokka, ashamed. "I didn't want you to see this."

"You mean you were coming here to kill more people?" Sokka yelled out loud, before realizing that the very people Toph had come to kill were listening on their conversation. "Uh…oops."

"Kill us?" a voice came from a rooftop above. "You might've killed Jeng over there, but all of us knew that he was kind of an idiot. We ought to actually give you his salary as a reward! What do you think guys?"

There were snickers around, and Sokka just realized how many people had really been watching them. Not only were there people that stood in the rooftops, but there were also masked figures that lurked in the shadows and the nearby alleyways. There must have been at least fifty people.

"Don't worry Sokka," Toph whispered. "This might be ugly for you to see, but I'll try to control myself. I won't hurt you."

"There's fifty people here," Sokka warned. "We should really just run and we'll talk about your murderous rampages lat-"

"Fifty four," Toph whispered, interrupting Sokka abruptly.

"What?"

"There're fifty four people here, not fifty," Toph rolled her eyes. "Just making a small correction."

"I don't think that's the point I'm trying to make here Toph," Sokka crossed his arms. "And how the heck do you even know that there are exactly fifty four people?"

"Because I see with my feet,"

"Well, do you _have _to be so dang accurate?"

"In a situation that means life and death, yes."

"Hey!" the same voice from the rooftop yelled back at them again. "Can you lovebirds quiet down? I mean, we're gonna shut you guys up in a minute, but Spirits you guys are loud!"

"She's not my girlfriend!" both Sokka and Toph yelled in unison. Sokka then realized something was wrong and turned to Toph.

"Hey!" Sokka pointed an accusing finger. "I'm not a girl!"

"Oh Toph, let's run away and then talk about your murderous rampage later!" Toph mocked, imitating Sokka's voice intonation near perfectly. Even a couple of the robbers around them snickered. "Yeah, like that's the defining trait of manly men right Sokka?"

"I am so a man!" Sokka declared. "And are you saying that you're a man then?"

"More of a man then you," Toph grinned, crossing her arms.

"Yeah, well," Sokka bit his lip, trying to form some kind of insult. "Like I would date you anyway."

"Hah!" Toph laughed. "As if I'd let you date me."

"As if I'd even consider the offer!" Sokka scoffed.

"As if I'd even make the offer!" Toph snorted.

"As if I'd even fall for you in the first place!" Sokka shouted.

"Well in case you haven't noticed from the last time I confessed to you," Toph now stood close to Sokka, pointing a finger at his chest. "I already have!"

Sokka, stood dumbfounded, once again not realizing what to say. There was a stiff silence, as the members of the Tiger Lilies were too occupied with the banter to even considering attacking. In the distance, there was a muffled "aww", that was quickly shut up with the words "Shut up! We're supposed to be killing them, remember?"

"You meant that, didn't you," Sokka scratched his hair.

"Yes," Toph groaned. "I knew telling you wasn't a good idea."

"Ok look," the voice above sighed. "Sorry to interrupt on your…little moment here. But you sort of killed Jeng, and we sort of have to take revenge. We'd wait here all day for you two to confess your undying love to each other, but I'd rather head back to my hotel and meet my mistress, so I think we'll just kill you guys now."

Suddenly, all fifty four members of Tiger Lilies sprang into action, with knives, spears, and swords closing in on Sokka and Toph. Both of them forgot about their dispute, and pressed their backs against each other. Sokka drew his sword and his boomerang, and Toph held her hands at the ready.

"Don't get in my way," Toph growled. "You could die."

"And remember Toph," Sokka grinned back at her. "First lesson of de-monstification, please don't kill anyone here. At least try not to."

"You went to the haiku class didn't you?" Toph sighed. "I told them you wouldn't stop with all this nonsense."

"And you were spying on me," Sokka winked back at her, forgetting that Toph was blind. "I find that cute."

"Yeah, yeah, shut up," Toph sent a boulder flying at the first wave of criminals coming at them. "Here they come!"

They sprung into action. Sokka met his opponents head on, throwing his boomerang before gripping both of his hands on his sword. Piandao had taught him about finesse in battle, but in a situation where your enemies outnumbered you fifty to one, Sokka knew he couldn't focus on a form that relied on singular combat. He would have to play dirty and bring down as many people as quickly as possible.

Sokka's boomerang arced in a fine circle, hitting the faces of several men before returning to Sokka's hands. By that time, the Water Tribe swordsman had already disarmed two more bandits, knocking them out with the blunt side of his sword and the hard edge of his hilt.

There was a yell behind him, and Sokka turned to see a skinny man chasing him, screaming something incoherently. Unfortunately for Sokka, he had caught the Water Tribesman off guard and was lunging in with a rather long spear. But before he could make a mark on Sokka's chest, the man was thrown aside by a column of earth that shot from the ground. The man screamed as he crashed into a nearby store, smashing into the cabbage box before passing out.

"I can't look after you all day Sokka," Toph yelled as she dodged a swipe of a sword. "I got my own people to worry about here."

They fought on, sword and rock, boomerang and more rocks. Though it seemed their numbers were limitless, Toph realized something very strange. It was such an obvious difference, but it had somehow slipped her mind.

For the last five years, Toph had gotten used to the wounds over her body. She would calculate, depending on how many foes she fought, how many times she would receive cuts and bruises from hits that she couldn't deflect. So tonight, with over fifty people attacking her, Toph assumed she was going to get well over a dozen.

But after the first few minutes, Toph realized that not only did she receive no injuries to speak of, she felt more refreshed than ever fighting this many people. Toph wondered why for a moment, before she took a look behind her, and saw Sokka kicking one of the bandits in the face.

And that was when she realized it. Sokka had filled the void. He had filled the space that he had left behind. He was her partner, the one who would protect her from the blows she couldn't see, and the attacks that she couldn't dodge.

This revelation stunned Toph, because Sokka was fighting as if they had never left. He was fighting like he always had. He cared not for his own protection, but did whatever he could to ensure that Toph would never receive a single scratch. It seemed so natural. It felt so right.

And at that point, Toph laughed loudly as she sent another five thieves crashing into the market place. Sokka looked back at Toph, asking her why she was laughing when they were being attacked by murderous villains. Toph merely shook her head and continued fighting, laughing while she did.

"She's gone insane," Sokka muttered to himself. "Note to self: demonstify Toph by telling her laughing while knocking people out is not a good thing."

When the fight had ended, Toph and Sokka stood victorious among fifty three groaning and moaning bodies. The fifty fourth man was looking at the duo, paralyzed with fear. He was the same man who had ordered that attack, and it seemed he would be the same man to run away.

"Toph," Sokka looked at the grown lady next to him. "I think it's time we showed our guest the classic, Sokka Toph super combo!"

"Ah the Sokka Toph super combo," Toph grinned to herself. That brought back so many good memories. For the first time in five years, Toph felt so at home. So much warmth was in her body that she wanted to cry to just let it all out. "Let's do it!"

"Behold! The legendary move that's feared throughout the land! A move so powerful, it will rock your boomerangs." Sokka yelled out loud. Behind him, Toph groaned at the joke. "First move! Sink!"

Sokka disappeared as Toph sank the boy into the ground.

"Second move," Toph smiled. "Scare!"

Toph hit the ground with her foot, and an earth replica of Sokka appeared, with a sword and boomerang made of earth. Toph sent the statue charging towards the man at maximum speed. What scared the man however, wasn't the statue that was charging towards him, but it was the fact that the statue was moving as if it was on its own. Its arms and legs moved like an actual human being, as if it was an earth replica of Sokka.

The man bolted and ran, screaming at the top of his lungs for an incoherent name. At that point, the statue slowed down its chase, and Toph tapped the ground again.

"Final move," Toph tapped the ground a few more times.

As the man ran, there was a rumble in front of him. In the next second, Sokka reemerged from the earth, his weapons already at the ready. In one quick motion, Sokka had pinned the man on the floor with his boomerang, knocking the man out cold with a combination of speed and shock.

"Sneak attack!" Sokka bellowed. "Perfect execution Toph, but I preferred the time where we made a clone of me with metal parts. Now that was awesome."

"Eh," Toph shrugged. "Most of the work is done by me anyway. It should really be called the Toph Sokka super combo where Toph does all the work."

"That's fine," Sokka walked back towards her. "You were magnificent anyway."

"You're not so bad yourself," Toph shrugged, and slugged Sokka in the arm. "Course I'm always going to better."

"Are you going to always assert your supremacy?" Sokka sighed, reaching to touch Toph's shoulders again.

The contact was brief, but Toph bristled at it. Her arm flinched as her hand reached for the knife once again. Both of them stood in utter silence, looking at each other for what seemed to be an eternity. Sokka merely smiled, and slowly brought his other arm to Toph's other shoulder, and brought her into a tight hug.

"My animals instincts were telling me to rip your throat out," Toph sighed into Sokka's shirt, embracing his warmth. "You have no idea how much of a mistake it was for you to follow me."

"But you didn't!" Sokka chuckled. "And that's why there's still hope for you."

"So you're saying that if it I had killed you there would be no hope?" Toph felt the tears coming to her eyes. "Don't be stupid."

"I didn't say that!" Sokka pulled Toph deeper as he could feel the sniffing and sobs that Toph let out. "Wait. Are you crying?"

"Tell anyone and I really will kill you," Toph pushed her face in deeper to Sokka's chest.

"You uh," Sokka gazed awkwardly at the blind Earthbender. "You want to go grab a drink or something?"

"No. I'm not even legal," Toph shook her head.

"That didn't stop us before," Sokka pointed out.

"I just want you to stay like this with me for a while. I'll be ok."

That was the only demand that Sokka listened to that night. But it was the only demand that Toph truly wanted, and they stayed together until morning, where people woke to find two people snoring amongst the unconscious bodies of fifty four bandits and thieves.

* * *

That morning, Sokka and Toph returned home. Sokka had tucked Toph back into bed, and when he came to the kitchen, he was surprised to see Suki packing up her bags.

"You're leaving?" Sokka asked. "But we just found Toph!"

"No," Suki smiled back at Sokka. "You found Toph. I'm so happy for you! It was pretty depressing watching you sulk every once in a while, but I see you've got that step back in you. Maybe it'll actually be hard kicking your butt at sparring now."

"But why are you leaving?" Sokka asked again. "That's the real question I'm asking."

"Sokka, remember how I said I was going to wait for you?" Suki looked at her own clothes for a moment. "Well I was waiting. But I wasn't waiting for our relationship to start over. I was waiting for something else."

"What do you mean, something else?" Sokka said.

"Gosh, you really are clueless are you?" Suki laughed. "Why was Toph always so right about you?"

"Is this about me and my feminine side again? Because if it is, we should really stop talking," Sokka pouted.

"No, stupid!" Suki came up to Sokka and gripped him tightly on the shoulders. "I was waiting for Toph!"

"Wait, what?" Sokka exclaimed, absolutely clueless. "But how could've you been waiting on her? We all thought she was dead."

"You're not the only one who wouldn't give up on Toph," Suki winked. "Did you really think an exploding building made of _earth _was going to kill her?"

"So…" Sokka mumbled. "You're saying…"

"Sokka, we had something really special," Suki sighed, and pulled Sokka into a hug. "But after the accident, and seeing how hard you were searching for her, I knew something. No, I realized something. And I've been waiting all of this time for you to figure it out yourself. I'm starting to realize that you're starting to get it just a little bit, and that makes me happier than you'll ever know."

"But I'm going to head back to Kyoshi island with Ty Lee," Suki continued. "You and Toph can stay here, rest up, and join us when you can. But our mission is done, Sokka, and there's work to be done."

"Why do girls always have to be so cryptic," Sokka sighed, rubbing his forehead in confusion. "I still don't know what you're trying to get at."

"Don't worry," Suki smiled, shouldering her bag. "I'm sure it'll be clear to you soon enough. Oh, and read this to Toph. Bye, Sokka."

Suki handed a piece of paper to Sokka, and afterwards, the door closed.

"Was that pretty fan girl that just walked out on you?" a voice called from the hallway. "That's rough, buddy."

"Still thinking about killing me?" Sokka looked up to see Toph standing at the hallway, arms crossed.

"It crossed my mind," Toph shrugged. "What's for breakfast?"

"Suki and Ty Lee are gone," Sokka sighed. "And I'm no good at cooking. You think you could handle the job?"

"Right, ask the blind girl to man the fire," Toph said dryly. "Is that why you have a shopping list in your hand?"

"Oh this?" Sokka held up Suki's piece of paper. "Suki told me to read this to you before she left."

"Really?" Toph's eyes widened. "Well, what does it say?"

"It says," Sokka squinted at Suki's quick handwriting. "Toph, Sokka's a hard head, and needs bigger than life clues to figure things out. I'll leave the rest to you. Suki. Now what the hell does that mean?"

"Beats me," Toph snorted.

"You're lying," Sokka grinned, catching onto Toph's air of anxiety. "You do know what she's talking about."

"If I did, I still wouldn't tell you," Toph said with totality. She stuck her tongue at Sokka. "So take that!"

"You're eighteen, and you're still sticking your tongue out at people?" Sokka raised an eyebrow. "That's a bit immature don't you think?"

"I'll show you immature!" Toph snarled, and sent a pebble flying towards Sokka. Sokka ducked and brought a wok next to him to cover his face.

"We're in an expensive house, Toph!" Sokka cried over the sound of pebbles hitting the wok. "You should really try not to break it!"

"I'm not the one paying!" Toph laughed, and launched herself towards Sokka.

Sokka, seeing as how there was no way to run, flung himself towards the Blind Bandit. Catching Toph by surprise, Sokka landed on top of her, laughing with a triumphant grin on his face. Toph, surprised, growled as she found she could barely move. Sokka looked over Toph's face, then her clothes, and then realized something.

"You've been in this suit for a while haven't you?" Sokka mumbled.

"My other clothes got burned, and after you captured me, what should I have done?" Toph replied.

"Oh forget that for now. Now that I have you pinned," Sokka chuckled. "I think we should get started on the demonstification process!"

"Oh please," Toph snorted. "Do your worst."

"Ok, I will," Sokka grinned devilishly. "What was Suki trying to say?"

"Uh," Toph shook her head. "Not saying anything remember? And what does this have to do with de-monstifying me?"

"Toph, I've got you pinned down on all fours," Sokka replied. "I don't think you're in a position to negotiate."

"Ok, fine," Toph growled. "Try getting the information from me."

"Well, if you don't give me the information," Sokka bit his lip. What could he do to threaten Toph? The girl was basically as tough as a rock. There was no way he was getting through to her with conventional means. "I'll tickle you!"

"Wow," Toph rolled her eyes. "That was really good Sokka. I'm…terrified. Especially considering that I'm not ticklish, I think that you've got this interrogation down pat. I'm really going to tell you what Suki said now."

"Fine," Sokka glared his eyes. "I'll…drop you in the bathtub and fill it with water."

"How are you going to carry me there without me viciously beating you into a pulp?"

"Good point."

Sokka shook his head. There had to be some way to get through to Toph. Some way to break the rock that was Toph's mind and personality. But Sokka still hadn't found a solution. What made a girl fearful? A few thoughts crossed Sokka's mind, all of them either bad ideas, or downright violations of moral and ethical conduct.

"If you don't tell me," Sokka said slowly, buying his time, as he thought up of another idea. "I will…I will…"

"Any time now, pretty boy," Toph grinned back at him. It was now that their faces were extremely close, and Sokka could see the reddish tint on Toph's cheeks. And that's when all of Toph's confessions came to Sokka like a rush of wind. And at that point, Sokka came up with an idea.

"If you don't tell me," Sokka declared. "I will just have to kiss you."

"Excuse me?" Toph didn't look fazed one bit. "You can't be serious."

"Oh yes I am!" Sokka smiled, leaning just a little bit more forward. "Come on Toph, you know you want to tell me."

"Sokka," Toph muttered, her cheeks turning even redder as Sokka's face came closer and closer.

"What?"

"I haven't brushed my teeth."

"That's fine."

"You haven't brushed your teeth."

"That just makes it all the more threatening."

"Are you sure you just want to kiss a girl just like that?"

"I'm single."

"What if I bite your lip?"

"Go ahead."

"I'm going to kill you for this."

"You're out of excuses."

Their lips touched, and it only took a moment before Sokka realized that Toph eagerly responded to it. Both of their bodies relaxed, and Sokka let go of Toph's body as both of them focused on nothing more than the contact at their lips.

"You...kissed me back," Sokka said when it was over. "That was…unexpected."

"Suki said you needed bigger than life clues to show you how I feel about you," Toph shrugged. "I've already confessed my undying love to you twice. I guess that means I gotta step it up a notch."

"I sort of find your love hard to believe when you say it like that," Sokka said dryly.

"Think what you want," Toph grinned. "But you let go of me already."

Before Sokka could react, Toph kicked Sokka away and used her Earthbending to chain Sokka to the floor. As he struggled, Toph pounced on Sokka, bringing their faces closer once again.

"Now, it's my turn to torture you," Toph smiled, and when she did, Sokka was absolutely sure that she was the most beautiful person in the world.

"And by torture you mean kissing me again right?" Sokka mused.

Toph agreed.

* * *

In the city of Ba Sing Se, there are myths that tell of flying badgermoles and majestic dragons. These are nothing but fantasies that keep children up at night. They are nothing more than dreams and falsehoods that are intended to shield people from what really happens in the world.

Then there are legends. Half truths, half lies. Exaggerated stories that make people sound greater than they actually are. Heroes who defeat thousands of foes. A man who bends with all his bones broken and shattered. These are nothing but inspiration for children who fail to realize that these stories blind them from truth and reality.

And then there are legacies. Things that become passed down from generation to generation in honor of the greatness of a person. There have been many great legacies in Ba Sing Se that tells of the heroism of a single person.

Or in this case two people.

One, a blind bandit. A shadow who lurked the streets as a ruthless murderer. Blinded by her rage, her loneliness and her heart of stone, she killed without remorse. Her body was a graveyard of death, and her wounds told the story of a girl lost without someone to guide her.

And the other, a warrior. A rather foolish young fellow, who came to the city as nothing more than an agent of the law. A strong and determined man, he would go on many adventures to track down this girl, as they had known each other before. He would show her the past that she lived, the happiness that she had forgotten.

And finally, though she was a blind as blind can be, he made her see. See a road that stretched towards him, and towards the happiness and love that would tie them together through the hardest of the times.

It was the road to her salvation.

_Fin._

* * *

**A/N: **That was...longer than I expected it to be.

Nonetheless, I hope you have found this story enjoyable. Thanks for all the reviews that people sent me! I'm so happy you guys enjoyed this story as I found this very difficult to write as I found myself trapped in my own stupid logical fallacies.

I will now be returning to my previous works, and I shall see you guys again soon. I think I'm going to take a little break. I need it after a seven day writing spree.


End file.
